A hospital in south China's Guangdong Province said they would only pay 70,000 yuan (US$11,109) to a couple who demanded 1 million yuan in compensation after their premature baby was mistakenly pronounced dead and left in a toilet, the Nanfang Daily reported today.

Liu Dongmei, the 22-year-old mother from Jiangxi Province, and her husband Wang Haizhang demonstrated outside the Nanhai District Red Cross Hospital in Foshan City yesterday, demanding compensation, the paper said.

Their baby boy was announced dead by an inexperienced nurse after his delivery on October 26 last year. The nurse then put the baby in a plastic bag and left it in a toilet.

However, Liu's family found their baby still alive and he was sent immediately to the intensive care unit for treatment and later transferred to the Foshan Maternity and Pediatrics Center. The center said the baby is now in good condition and can leave any time.

Liu and her husband demanded the Nanshan District Red Cross Hospital to pay them 1 million yuan in damages. A medical dispute mediator suggested the hospital pay the family 70,000 yuan, including 50,000 yuan for their mental suffering, the highest provided by the law, and 20,000 yuan for their lost working days.

The mediator also suggested the hospital cover all the medical expenses of the baby in the next two years. The hospital agreed to the proposed settlement, but the couple refused to accept it and staged the protest, the report said.

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